[gamble]

It may depend on the area, but becoming a firefighter is unbelievably difficult these days. The competition is very intense.

My brother spent close to ten years applying to every firefighting job he could find. He has a four-year degree, a diploma from fire-fighting school, years of experience as a private firefighter on a military base and as an EMT, and he's a competitive bodybuilder. He finally gave up this year and went back to school to get his teaching certificate.

[keiferski]

Very, very true. A friend of mine is considering the military, largely so he gets more experience and a better shot at a firefighting job.